Improvement in buckles



D. L. SMITH.

BUCKLE. No.183,47'3. Pat'ented Oct. 17,1876

N-PETERS. PNOTOJ-ITHDGRAPNER, WASHINGTON, D

DWIGHT L. SMITH, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO WATER- BUBYBUCKLE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BUCKLES.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,4?3, dated October17, 1876; application filed September 15,1876. I

- ters of reference marked thereon, to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawingsconstitutepart of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a front View; Fig. 2, a rear view; Fig. 3, the frame of thebuckle as out from sheet metal; Fig. 4, the tongue; and in Fig.

5, a vertical central section.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of bucklesdesigned specially for suspenders, the object being to form a tongueconsiderably shorter than the frame, whereby the tongue can be madesmall and light, and yet equally as strong as the usual full-lengthtongue.

The invention consists in constructing the frame with a centrallongitudinal bar, with a bearing for the tongue-cam in the center, andan ear each side the said bearing, combined with a tongue hinged orclosed upon the bar by the said ears, and constructed with a cam to workupon said bearings, and tongues for securing the suspenders, all as morefully hereinafter described.

The frame is out from sheet metal, as seen in Fig. 3, forming an upperbar, a, a lower bar, 1), ends 0, and a central longitudinal bar, (1,with the usual book 6 below. At the center of this bar d there is formeda cam-bearing, f, and at the right and left of this bearing an ear, 6,is formed upon each side of the bar, the extent of these cars beingsufficient to turn over onto the bar, as seen in Fig. 1, and form apocket or bearin g for the pintle of the tongue 5 but, if preferred,these cars may be made entirely upon one side.

The tongue at is in length a little more than the distance between theears on the bar 01, so as to form a trunnion, m, at each end, as seen inFig. 4:. On the back or upper edge of the tongue apiece is turnedforward to form the cam r, and on the lower edge spurs s,

(more or less in number,) and at a convenient point a thumb-piece, t, onthe same edge.

The tongue thus constructed is laid between the ears on the bar d, andthe ears turned over to inclose the trunnions m, as seen in Fig. 2. Theearn 7' is above the line of the hinge, and bears upon the center f ofthe bar, as seen in Fig. 5, and therefore tends to hold the tongue downagainst the frame; but when raised, as indicated in broken lines, thecam will retain the tongue in that position until the suspender beproperly adjusted, then turned down. The bearing f of the bar serves asa spring upon the cam r, to force and hold the spurs into the suspender.

By this construction it will be observed that the tongue isproportionately very much smaller than for the same-sized buckle of itsclass of the usual construction.

I claim The herein described buckle, consisting of the frame a b 0, witha longitudinal bar, d, forming a central bearin g, f, and constructedwith ears between the bearing and the ends of the frame, combined with atongue constructed with a cam upon its upper edge and spurs upon thelower, the trunnions of the said tongue closed by earsupon the bar,substantially as specified.

DWIGHT LuSMITH.

Witnesses:

ANsoN F. ABBOTT, B. G. BRYAN.

